News-Press Editorial: Test program crosses the road to safety

Raul Roa / Staff Photographer

Crossing guard Mario Bocanegra stops traffic so children going to Rosemont Middle School can cross safely at Rosemont Ave. and Los Amigos St. in La Crescenta on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Bocanegra has been stationed at this corner since last school year but his contract was due to expire at the end of this year.

Crossing guard Mario Bocanegra stops traffic so children going to Rosemont Middle School can cross safely at Rosemont Ave. and Los Amigos St. in La Crescenta on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Bocanegra has been stationed at this corner since last school year but his contract was due to expire at the end of this year. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Rosemont lies in unincorporated Los Angeles County. It is the county that pays for traffic safety measures there rather than the city of Glendale, which picks up the costs for similar efforts near campuses within the city’s boundaries. Trying to gain approval for improvements not previously deemed necessary can be an agonizing exercise, but the locals, under the leadership of Robyn Battles of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, were relentless.

A recent letter-writing campaign to Supervisor Mike Antonovich helped tip the decision in their favor. They gave him a little extra ammunition so he could persuade his board colleagues to allow Rosemont and other middle schools in unincorporated areas to have crossing guards. They agreed that $800,000 would be set aside for that purpose.

Since the arrival of Bocanegro last spring, not only have the students felt safer and their parents been given greater peace of mind, there has been a noticeable calming of traffic on Rosemont near the intersection with Los Amigos. So this week’s action making those improvements permanent — and extending them to campuses in the county that do not already enjoy them — is clearly a win for everyone.